Hmmm - I eat meat but I have to say that all animals have a greater or lesser degree of sentience. Elephants go away from the herd to die and mourn their dead for days, etc.
If someone threatened me with a gun I'd be very aware of my mortality - if you hold a gun to my dog she won't care, not because she isn't sentient but because she had no understanding of a gun. She is however aware that cars are dangerous and will not walk in the road, though I've never told her not to. She knows fire is also bad for her. I am only aware of my own mortality because I recognise the threat - but all animals respond to danger in the same way as us. The difference is they cannot communicate it to us and they are not at the same level - god forbid, the way we treat them sometimes. My opinion of course.
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